📰 Mumbai News: Labour Minister Akash Fundkar Launches Certificate Course on Legal Framework & Discipline Management to Ease Court Burden

In a progressive move to reduce litigation and strengthen workplace governance, Maharashtra's Labour Minister Akash Fundkar has launched a new certificate course titled “Legal Framework & Discipline Management”. The course aims to empower industry professionals to manage internal disciplinary matters effectively, thereby reducing the growing burden on India’s already overstretched legal system.

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🎯 Purpose of the Course

The primary goal of this four-month certification is to:

Equip HR professionals and line managers with practical knowledge of labour law and disciplinary procedures.

Enable internal resolution of workplace misconduct.

Reduce unnecessary escalation of disputes to Labour Courts, Industrial Tribunals, and High Courts.

Fundkar noted during the launch:

> “We want to develop trained manpower in every industrial establishment who can handle disputes within the framework of law, without resorting to court intervention every time.”

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🏛️ Conducted by: Na. Me. Lokhande Maharashtra Labour Institute

This initiative will be spearheaded by the Na. Me. Lokhande Maharashtra Labour Institute—a state-owned institution with campuses in Mumbai and Nagpur. The institute is the only one in the state dedicated exclusively to labour studies, industrial relations, and employee welfare.

Since 2020, the institute has focused on short-term, skill-oriented programs to meet the urgent need for legal and compliance training in industrial sectors

🗂️ Course Highlights

Component Details

Course Title Certificate Course in Legal Framework & Discipline Management

Duration 4 Months

Structure 4 Modules

Mode In-person classes only

Timing Weekends (Saturday & Sunday)

Eligibility Graduate from any stream

Certificate Awarded By Labour Department, Govt. of Maharashtra

Focus Areas - Labour Laws

- Principles of Natural Justice  

                       - Domestic Enquiry Procedure  

                       - Misconduct Handling  

                       - Drafting of Chargesheets & Inquiry Reports                              |

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🧑‍🏫 Who Should Enroll?

This program is especially suited for:

HR Managers & Industrial Relations Officers

Line Supervisors & Admin Heads

Compliance Professionals in factories and shops

Legal Advisors working with labour issues

Trade Union Leaders seeking formal training

By completing this course, participants will gain a formal credential in disciplinary management, making them key players in workplace conflict resolution and internal compliance structures

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🧵 Background & Need

According to Labour Department data:

A significant number of workplace-related cases—ranging from misconduct to non-compliance—reach Labour Courts every year.

Many such disputes could be resolved internally if managers had proper legal training and understood principles like natural justice, domestic enquiry procedure, and disciplinary codes.

This course aims to plug that gap.

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🎙️ Launch Event Highlights

The launch event, held at Nariman Bhavan, Mumbai, was attended by:

Akash Fundkar – Minister for Labour, Maharashtra

I.A. Kundan – Principal Secretary, Labour Dept.

Roshani Kadam‑Patil – Director of the Labour Institute

Deepak Pokle & Swapnil Kapadnis – Under Secretaries

Dr. Atul Naubade – Deputy Director of the Institute

Minister Fundkar emphasized that this is not just a course but a policy-level intervention. He added:

> “Our courts are flooded with petty labour issues that can be solved within the company. This course will create responsible officers who can prevent escalation.”

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🎓 Certification & Recognition

Upon successful completion, participants will receive a Government-recognized Certificate.

This will serve as proof of legal and compliance training, beneficial for career progression in HR, Admin, or IR roles.

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📝 How to Apply?

The Labour Institute will soon roll out application guidelines, including:

Offline and online registration process

Fee structure

Course start date and batch schedule

Keep an eye on official announcements from:

Na. Me. Lokhande Institute website

Labour Department of Maharashtra

Compliance Monk community updates

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🌟 Impact & Future Scope

This initiative reflects a broader labour reform strategy that prioritizes:

Skill Development in employee relations

De-Judicialization of internal HR conflicts

Efficient, informed workplace discipline systems

If implemented well, it could become a model program for other states to replicate.

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📢 Final Thought

As India’s workplaces evolve with complex challenges—ranging from union dynamics to employee misconduct—the need for structured, certified training in labour law and disciplinary procedures has never been more urgent. This course is a timely, targeted effort to bridge the legal knowledge gap in workplaces and build a new cadre of compliance-savvy professionals.